Pray

Pray

Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

“I THINK I NEED to start praying for Haley.”

My fingers involuntarily clenched the steering wheel, my eyes shooting her a quick glance before returning to watching the road. “Oh?”

“I know, I know.” Brianna sighed as she played with a lock of hair, staring out the passenger window. “I’ll maintain healthy boundaries.”

“Oh, friend. I know you will.” Pausing for a long moment, I admit, “And you are right, you should be praying for Haley, and honestly, I probably should too. I just don’t want her to stir up any more drama for you at work. That was a rough six months.”

I love Brianna, which means I get mad when someone treats her badly. She is quick to see beneath hurtful actions and words, looking for aching hearts and broken pieces in people who are unkind. She tries to see people as God sees them, which means she tends toward grace and mercy rather than offense or anger. It’s one of her best qualities, and it challenges my angry response to those who hurt people I love. She’s right, and I know it.

We pray good things for those we love, for those who have been good to us, but what, if anything, do we pray over those who have treated us ill? Do we pray for God’s vengeance on the heads of our enemies, or do we pray for a Damascus-road encounter, a radical transformation that turns Sauls into Pauls? What is our responsibility in praying for our fellow fallen, hurting humans, even when they’ve been hateful? This is not for the faint of heart. It is countercultural and just plain hard to pray blessing over those who curse us, over those who are hurtful.

As we reconsider our response, a word of caution is in order. Let us not confuse sincere, ongoing intercessory prayer with allowing an unsafe person access to our hearts, bodies, or innermost thoughts. We are not doormats, and we can and should establish healthy, godly boundaries to keep us safe spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

Lord, give us the balance to see hard people as you see them, investing in prayer on their behalf while also maintaining safety for us and those we love. Amen.

-Julie

One Good Step: Pick one hard person in your life and pray for him or her every time you brush your teeth.